11 Surprising Ways to Get Healthier Today

By Diane Anderson-Minshall and Donald Padgett

11 Surprising Ways to Get Healthier Today

Every day there’s a new article on how to live longer, avoid Alzheimer’s, or get fit using your own body weight. What happens when you can’t follow their lofty suggestions? Try something easier. Here are 11 of our easiest ways to get healthier today.

1. Get High Without Drugs

Pick up a revised edition of the '70s-era guide The Book of Highs: 252 Ways to Alter Your Consciousness Without Drugs to find ways to get high without drugs. Edward Rosenfeld’s opus offers a ton of ways to get stoned without pot: altering consciousness with a Zen power yell, hypnotic lullaby, psychedelic bath, and more. ($14 and up, BookOfHighs.com)

2. Say Goodbye to Sugar

I’m now a Swerve devotee. Swerve is made from simple ingredients found in select fruits and root vegetables and has no artificial additives (like Splenda or Equal do), preservatives, or flavorings. It comes in a granulated form that measures just like sugar, making substitution easy. Gluten-free Swerve has zero calories, and browns and caramelizes just like sugar. Swerve is easy on the digestive system and nonglycemic, diabetes-friendly, making it a natural choice for blood sugar control. And it tastes great, making it an awesome choice to switch to. ($7, grocery stores and Amazon.com)

3. Make Drinking Water Easy

I love carbonated drinks and hate plain water. Saying goodbye to Coke was difficult, but science swayed me: Studies have shown that Soda Stream owners drink 43 percent more water, making it a healthy alternative to store-bought sodas and energy drinks. Soda Stream uses CO2 cartridges to turn ordinary tap water into delicious and inexpensive soda in less than a minute. The kit comes with everything you need, just add your fruit of choice. I use fresh lemon or crushed berries, and in 30 seconds I have a fancy, healthy, homemade soda. (Soda Stream also produces 50 different flavors of syrup, with sugar-free, diet, and energy drink varieties available.) ($80 and up, SodaStreamUSA.com)

4. Get a Boost With a Pickle

Thinking about adding a little pickle to your pre-workout? It’s not as crazy as it sounds. Each two-ounce BAO Food and Drink Liquid Pickle Boost is a blend of green tea, vitamins, minerals, and other natural flavors, all fermented using a 7,000-year-old process that encourages the growth of the health-promoting probiotic lactobacillus. The boosts increase your energy through electrolytes and antioxidants. We love the sour kicks, and Hot Shot (with chili peppers) is a fave. But Green (with algae), Red Ginger (hibiscus and ginger), Deep Purple (elderberry and licorice root), Turmeric (the spice, turmeric), and Beet (red beets) are great too. ($7, BaoFoodAndDrink.com)

5. Try a Different Kind of Protein Snack

Chronically stressed bodies need more protein, but protein bars can have the taste and consistency of hardened sawdust. Meatcrafter’s Artisanal Skinny Salamis are the perfect high protein, post-workout snacks. Gluten- and antibiotic-free, with no added hormones, Meatcrafter’s small batch mini salamis use high-quality ingredients, slowly cured to preserve taste and freshness. They come in packs of four and a variety of mouthwatering flavors, including Black Angus Beef, Spicy Pork Chorizo, Casbah Pork, Lamb Merguez, and Street Cart Shawarma. Each serving delivers 10 grams of protein in less than 100 calories. ($7, SkinnySalamis.com)

6. Have a Date With Dark Chocolate

Dates are nature’s secret nutritional super food, aiding digestion, helping regulate blood pressure, creating red blood cells, and preventing heart disease. Bump up their protein and their flavor with Chocodates — dates stuffed with almonds and dipped in European chocolate. The bite-sized delicacies are individually wrapped for freshness and come in four varieties: milk chocolate, dark chocolate (the best), white chocolate, and coconut. Gluten-free and non-GMO. ($12 a bag, Chocodates.com)

7. Vitamin C You Later

Sometimes our immune systems need an extra boost of vitamin C to fight off illness. Sufficient-C Lemon Peach Immune-ade drink mix is a delicious way to deliver effective doses of the natural antibiotic, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and even natural antihistamine — all with no added sugars and or gluten. Each scoop packs 2,000 milligrams of vitamin C, along with generous doses of L-lysine, Bromelain, and a 94 percent pure green tea extract. It’s the perfect way to kick out a cold. (from $25 for 125 grams, SufficientC.com)

8. Fight Inflammation With Black Seed Oil

Black seed oil is also known as the blessed seed oil in some parts of the world due to its health benefits. It originates from the seeds of the fennel flower plant (so it has the flavor of black licorice) and can help lower blood pressure, improve the immune system, and fight allergies as well as act as a pain-reducing anti-inflammatory. Nama Black Seed Oil is cold-pressed and unfiltered to ensure quality and nutritional content. The oil is naturally high in omegas oils, is non-GMO, gluten-free, and vegan-friendly. Use it for cooking, take it directly, or rub it on to relieve muscle and back pain. ($20 a 4 oz. bottle, NamaSeed.com)

9. Drink More Tea

After 180 years, Tetley has produced its healthiest teas: a line of award-winning Tetley Super Teas infused with vitamin C, B6, and B7. They come in a variety of flavors, including Vanilla Black Tea, Lemon Honey Green Tea, Peach and Orange, and Pineapple and Citrus Herbal Teas. Each Tetley teabag includes 25 percent more, to produce a rich, robust cup that tastes great, is good for you, and the world. The socially aware company believes in giving back to its community. (From $4 a box, TetleyUSA.com)

10. Make Your Clothes Work for You

Feel icky wearing poly blends, denim, or even underwear? Ditch ’em! Making your body feel good includes your clothes, which touch your skin, the largest organ in your body. Monasita’s colorfully urban, Latina-inspired high-performance leggings ($65, Monasita.com) feel like a second skin and promote muscle recovery after a workout. For those with penises or packers, check out Mister Maginsky underwear ($40 for two pair, MisterMaginsky.com) with a patented pouch that keeps the sausage separate from the eggs, with plenty of room to grow as the need arises. These innovative undies allow improved flexibility, and also help maintain sexual health and hygiene by keeping the entire package clean, dry, and separate.

11. Natural Teeth Whitening

Say no to unwieldy dental strips and expensive whitening treatments with My Magic Mud Whitening Toothpaste and Whitening Powder, which use the natural benefits of activated charcoal and calcium bentonite clay to whiten teeth and eliminate toxins. In a clinical trial, 75 percent of participants experienced whitening after as little as 21 days. Both products can be a little messy if not used as directed, and it may take time to acclimate to the experience, but the results are worth the minimal effort. For optimal results, combine the paste with the powder to give your teeth a double dose of natural whitening. My Magic Mud products are fluoride- and SLS-free, are non-GMO, contain no glycerin, and are vegan-friendly. The toothpaste comes in four flavors: Spearmint, Wintergreen, Peppermint, and Cinnamon Clove. ($10 to $25, MyMagicMud.com)